Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will quiet doubters in 2020
By Alex Perl
The Las Vegas Raiders fan base is split on quarterback Derek Carr, but in 2020, he has the weapons to silence all the doubters.
It is now year seven in the tenure of Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. A three-time Pro Bowler, the all-time franchise leader in passing yards, and in the prime of his career after just turning 29-years-old, Carr still has plenty of doubters in Raider Nation.
Despite all of the accolades, the one topic of discussion that continues to get brought up is his losing record. So, now in year seven, can he finally quiet the doubters?
Wins and losses define every quarterback, and with a 39-55 record, he has some marks that no quarterback wants. In fact, his 55 career losses are the second-most ever for a quarterback through his first six seasons.
Having never appeared in a playoff game, thanks to the fact he broke his leg on Christmas Eve in 2016, the doubters grow louder which each coming season. With a new backdrop in Las Vegas, Carr will look to prove he is the quarterback for the Raiders, and provide some much needed wins.
The 2019 season on paper was a very successful year Carr. He threw for over 4,000 yards with 21 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. In addition, he posted a 70% completion percentage to boot, which good for second in the entire NFL.
Despite the 7-9 overall record, the Raiders remained competitive throughout the season, and improved upon their 4-12 record the previous season.
Carr provided these numbers after the whole Antonio Brown fiasco, and mainly sub-par receiving corps at his disposal. After dealing with a number of offensive coordinators and head coaches over the years, it seems Carr finally has some continuity, as head coach Jon Gruden returns for his third season at the helm.
The Raiders own two first-round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, and with one of these picks, it would seem ideal to take a wide receiver. That would give Carr that No. 1 target at the position group that he desperately needs. With a loaded receiving class, Carr should have everything he needs to silence the doubters.
The split among Raider fans when it comes to Carr is a daily debate, and I am not here to take a side, but I will say this. With a third season under Gruden, a new location in Las Vegas, hopefully a consistent receiving threat brought in via the draft, and a capable backup quarterback brought in this offseason to possibly push Carr in Marcus Mariota, Carr should have every tool available for him to succeed.
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Bottom line is, the veteran signal-caller should improve not only his statistics, but also the win column for the Raiders. This is a veteran quarterback with hopefully a newfound fire in his demeanor, and he will be looking to make a statement in his first year in Las Vegas.